Myth 2: Can science support or bust the paranormal?
Introduction:
Do you believe in ghosts? Bigfoot? Alien abductions? If you said yes to any of these, you're not alone. Many people hold beliefs about the existence of paranormal phenomona. However, many of these things cannot and have not been supported by scientific evidence. Though many people (even well respected people) claim that science can prove the existance of the phenomena, many of their arguments fall flat in the face of critical thinking. While certainly there is nothing wrong in believing in these things, its important to distinguish what science is and how it is used to discover patterns and knowledge about the world around us. Science is based on natural and predictable phenomena that can be tested. Beware of claims made by "pseudoscientists". Watch the video below called Evidence of Yeti.
Directions:
Choose a topic that is considered to be in the realm of the paranormal, such as alien abuctions, ESP, or ghosts. I suggest you don't choose one that you are personally committed to as it may skew your objectivity. The point of this lesson isn't to convince you either way. The point is to analyze the so-called evidence surrounding the phenemona from a scientific viewpoint and using critical thinking skills.
After you have chosen a topic, you will write a 4 paragraph response that includes the following:
A short list of claims and evidence used to support the existence of the phenomena (for example - eyewitness accounts, footprints, videotapes, etc.). Be specific in the claims that people or scientists have used to support your topic. (1 paragraph)
Analyze at least TWO PIECES OF EVIDENCE (1 paragraph each) using some of the following areas of reasoning (borrowed from "CSI: A Field Guide to Critical Thinking"):
Falsifiability: It must be possible that evidence could exist that could prove the phenomena false.
Logic: The evidence that supports the phenomena must be valid and logical.
Comprehensiveness: All possible evidence must be considered (not just the evidence that supports your claim).
Honesty: The evidence must be evaluated without any personal involvement.
Replicability: If the evidence is produced through a scientific experiment, the experiment must be able to be replicated with identical results.
Sufficiency: The "burden of proof" lies with the person making the claim (for example, you cannot scientifically state that UFOs exist simply because there is no proof against it).
Discuss ways that science could support the existence of your topic without relying on weak arguments. Use the scientific method and scientific processes to propose a research method that could support the existance of the phenomenon. (1 paragraph)
Post your 4 paragraph response in the "discussion" tab above. (I would suggest typing your response in Word first, then copy/pasting it into a post so you do not lose any of your work.) Please make sure to include your first name and last initial somewhere in your post to ensure that you receive credit for your response.
Introduction:
Do you believe in ghosts? Bigfoot? Alien abductions? If you said yes to any of these, you're not alone. Many people hold beliefs about the existence of paranormal phenomona. However, many of these things cannot and have not been supported by scientific evidence. Though many people (even well respected people) claim that science can prove the existance of the phenomena, many of their arguments fall flat in the face of critical thinking. While certainly there is nothing wrong in believing in these things, its important to distinguish what science is and how it is used to discover patterns and knowledge about the world around us. Science is based on natural and predictable phenomena that can be tested. Beware of claims made by "pseudoscientists". Watch the video below called Evidence of Yeti.Evidence of Yeti? by DiagonalView
Directions:
Choose a topic that is considered to be in the realm of the paranormal, such as alien abuctions, ESP, or ghosts. I suggest you don't choose one that you are personally committed to as it may skew your objectivity. The point of this lesson isn't to convince you either way. The point is to analyze the so-called evidence surrounding the phenemona from a scientific viewpoint and using critical thinking skills.
A list of paranormal topics can be found at the Open Directory Project - http://dmoz.org/Society/Paranormal/
After you have chosen a topic, you will write a 4 paragraph response that includes the following:
Post your 4 paragraph response in the "discussion" tab above. (I would suggest typing your response in Word first, then copy/pasting it into a post so you do not lose any of your work.) Please make sure to include your first name and last initial somewhere in your post to ensure that you receive credit for your response.